Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)(55)

Her voice was earnest, her body language intense. As if she wanted to make sure he understood what she was saying.

“What are we talking about?” he asked cautiously.

“You having Patience and Sam talk to me. It was scary and wonderful at the same time. They had so much information.” She straightened in her seat. “Hey, wait a minute. You have a small business. Why didn’t you tell me all this yourself? You must know everything there is about running a business.”

“While I enjoy you thinking of me as a god, the truth is I know what I need to know to make my company work. Not what you need to know. I figured talking to someone with a financial background, like Sam, would be helpful. And I knew Patience had been through something similar. You could bond over your joint experience.”

“Is that sarcasm? Women don’t automatically bond over every little thing.”

“You kinda do.”

She sighed. “Fine. Maybe. Regardless, thank you. And I owe you. You’re really a good friend.”

Her compliment warmed him. Not that he needed much warming when she was around. Still, he appreciated the sentiment. “You’re a good friend, too. So did they help?”

“Patience gave me a lot of moral support. Sam was more practical. I have a very long and growing to-do list. There’s a bunch of people I need to talk to. A lawyer, a banker. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a banker. Oh, I take that back. I started to take out a loan to buy into the bakery. It was a brief conversation. And a little scary. I guess a lawyer’s going to be even worse.”

“They’re not my favorite people, but they’re very necessary. At least that’s what I tell myself.”

They pulled into the hospital parking lot and found a space near the door. Aidan carried the bags inside. He and Shelby got on the elevator. “I can’t believe this our second pregnancy visit in such a short period of time,” she said.

“We are a town of breeders.”

She laughed. “That must’ve made you nervous, with all your lady friends.”

“Not me. I’m a big believer in protection. Easier for both of us.”

One corner of her mouth turned up. Her eyes began to sparkle and he knew he was in trouble.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” he warned her, “don’t say it out loud.”

The doors to the elevator opened on to the maternity floor. She smiled sweetly and said, “The condom companies must’ve really loved you. Did you get a Christmas card every year?”

“Funny,” he grumbled. “Very funny.”

Finding Isabel’s room turned out not to be a problem. It was easy to spot from all the people milling about outside in the hallway. Aidan would guess that a good percentage of her family, not to mention her husband’s, had already arrived.

Madeline saw them and waved them over. “She’s doing great,” Isabel’s business partner said. “She had a C-section, of course. It was triplets. Three girls! They’re all above three pounds, which is fantastic. The big issue with triplets is low weight at birth. It sets them up for all kinds of problems.”

Shelby hugged her friend. “Someone’s been on the internet.”

Madeline laughed. “I wanted to appear knowledgeable. I figured people would be asking questions. Hey, Aidan.”

“Maddie.”

Madeline wrinkled her nose at the nickname. “One of the disadvantages of living somewhere your whole life is the person who can always make you feel like you’re six years old.”

“You loved it then and you love it now.”

She grinned. “Shelby, honey, when all this settles, remind me to tell you about the time Aidan got very powerful glue on his hands and then had to pee.”

He groaned. “You wouldn’t.”

Madeline smiled. “I would and I will. Now come see the beautiful mother.”

The crowd made room for them as they walked into the hospital room. Aidan didn’t know if all maternity rooms were singles, but with the number of people visiting Isabel he doubted the hospital would’ve had a choice either way. Her parents were there, along with her husband’s impressive family. Ford was one of six children and his three sisters were also triplets. Denise, Ford’s mom, had her boyfriend, Max, along. Aidan winced as he thought the B word in association with a woman well into her fifties. But Denise and Max weren’t married and he didn’t know what else to call the man. Life partner just seemed so weird.

Shelby rushed to her friend’s side and they embraced. Aidan sidled over to where the men were standing. Ford looked a little shell-shocked.

“How you holding up?” Aidan asked him.

“I’m not,” Ford admitted. “I’ve seen combat. I’ve seen a lot of bad stuff. Nothing prepared me to watch a doctor slice open my wife’s stomach like a watermelon and pull babies out. They should warn you.”

Aidan didn’t know if he should laugh, offer a hug or run for the hills. The latter seem to make the most sense but he told himself to suck it up. He only had to hear about it; Ford had had to live it.

“I mean I knew it was triplets,” Ford continued, shaking his head. “I saw an ultrasound. The doctor was very clear. But jeez, when they pulled out one baby after the other and they were so damn small.” He stared at Aidan. “I’m talking small. What are we supposed to do with them?”